Be especially careful of diabetic foot problems during the rainy season! Stay healthy and enjoy the summer with diabetes.

What should diabetics be aware of during the summer when it's hot and you lose your appetite and can't exercise because of the humidity?

Professor Cho Yoon-kyung, Department of Endocrinology, Seoul Asan Medical Center

 

 

According to statistics from the Health Insurance Review & Assessment Service, the number of diabetes patients in 2022 will be approximately 3.687 million.

This is an increase of approximately 150,000 people compared to the 3.537 million people counted in 2021.

 

As the number of patients increases every year, managing diabetes in daily life has become more important.

The rainy season is a dangerous period when special attention must be paid to blood sugar management.

 

It is not easy to eat healthy meals because you lose your appetite due to humidity and heat.

As frequent rain and humidity make outdoor activities difficult, it is also difficult to exercise consistently.

If you sweat a lot in hot and humid weather, you can easily become dehydrated.

Diabetic patients need to be careful because dehydration increases the risk of acute complications such as hyperglycemic coma.

 

 

■ New summer shoes worn on bare feet are dangerous for diabetic foot patients.

 

Diabetic foot is a condition that affects the feet of patients with diabetes, including neuropathy, structural deformities, and calluses.

This is a general term for changes in the skin and toenails, foot ulcers, infections, and vascular diseases.

 

As diabetic foot disease progresses, even small wounds do not heal and become ulcers. In severe cases, blood circulation is disrupted, causing the wounds to turn black and rot.

 

Even if you get a wound on your foot, you don't feel it. Your healing ability and resistance to bacteria are also reduced.

 

Even minor wounds can progress rapidly and lead to serious complications such as ulcers or gangrene.

In the worst case scenario, the foot may need to be amputated.

 

The first symptom that appears is often a paresthesia due to a nerve disorder.

Initially, you may feel numbness, tingling, and burning sensation in your feet.

Each patient complains of various symptoms,

If this progresses further, it may feel like something is stuck to your foot or like a lump when you step on it.

They complain of various abnormal sensations, such as the feeling of walking on sand or marbles.

 

 

Summer is a season when diabetics must be especially careful.

 

During the rainy season, the surroundings become hot and humid, and it is easy to walk around barefoot.

Feet are prone to injury in the summer. Be mindful of sudden changes in your feet.

 

If the color of your feet changes to red or black, or if minor wounds such as blisters or ulcers appear,

It is recommended to visit a hospital early.

 

Before going to bed, wash your feet thoroughly with soap and dry them thoroughly.

 

Never walk barefoot, as bare feet are prone to injury.

 

Also, avoid shoes that do not fit your feet well.

Before putting on your shoes, check the inside of your shoes for any foreign substances.

If the calluses or calluses are severe, it is recommended to visit a hospital and receive appropriate treatment.

 

 

The best treatment is ongoing management.

For people with diabetes, feet are more important than the face.

Even if you don't wash your face, wash your feet at least once a day and observe them carefully.

It can prevent you from losing your foot due to a minor injury.

 

 

 

■ Eating habits of eating small amounts of fruit after meals and eating radish sprouts and bean sprouts with bibim noodles

 

In the summer, it's easy to lose your appetite in the hot and humid weather.

Slurp down a bowl of bibim guksu or naengmyeon, or mix cold water with rice and eat it with pickled vegetables.

I'm often tempted to fill my meal with pickled seafood.

 

But this type of diet may be the worst for blood sugar control. 

 

The proportion of carbohydrates is too high and the vegetables and proteins are too low, which not only causes nutritional imbalance, but also

Refined carbohydrates also easily raise blood sugar levels.

 

If you eat a bowl of noodles, try to eat vegetables such as bean sprouts, bean sprouts, or radish greens along with the noodles.

 

It is better to put less salt and sugar in the bibim seasoning sauce.

 

Common summer fruits are also major contributors to sugar spikes. .

 

Rather than fruits with a lot of water and sugar, such as watermelon, cantaloupe, or grapes,

 

Vegetables like tomatoes are good for your health.

It is recommended to eat small amounts of fruit after meals, such as one piece of watermelon or cantaloupe, half an orange, or half to one kiwi.